Suncorp has sold its Australian wealth business, Suncorp Portfolio Services to LGIA Super.
The company announced the transaction to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) today saying it had followed a strategic review started in February, last year.
Confirming the transaction, Suncorp group chief executive, Steven Johnston, said the sale agreement was a good outcome for the firm’s 137,000 superannuation members and would continue the simplification of its portfolio.
The announcement noted that LGIAsuper was progressing towards a merger with Energy Super and that together with the Suncorp Wealth business, the combined business would have around $28 billion in funds under administration and approximately 250,000 members.
It said total consideration was estimated at $45 million, which included a fixed amount of $26.6 million, plus regulatory capital.
Following completion of the sale, Suncorp will enter into an agreement with LGIAsuper to distribute Suncorp superannuation products to Suncorp customers for 18 months.
Australia’s corporate regulator has been told it must quickly modernise its oversight of private markets, after being caught off guard by the complexity, size, and opacity of the asset class now dominating institutional portfolios.
ASIC chair Joe Longo has delivered a blunt warning to superannuation trustees, cautioning that board-level ignorance of member complaints and internal failings will not be tolerated and could trigger enforcement action.
ART has cautioned regulators against imposing overlapping obligations on superannuation funds already operating under APRA’s comprehensive framework, saying that additional oversight should be “carefully targeted to address potential gaps in other parts of the market”.
The super fund has appointed Simone Van Veen as chief member officer.